Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday told the state legislative Assembly that the 16-year-old girl from Balanga in Puri district, who died of severe burn injuries in August, had taken her own life by setting herself ablaze.
The incident, which had triggered political uproar and embarrassed the government, occurred on July 19. The girl died on August 2 at AIIMS, New Delhi, where she was undergoing treatment.
Initially, allegations suggested that three miscreants had set the girl on fire near a riverbank in Balanga. She was first admitted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, before being airlifted to Delhi the next day. The case drew widespread outrage. However, the investigation concluded that the teenager had committed suicide.
“She poured kerosene and set herself on fire. No one else was involved,” chief minister Majhi said in the House. He added that her dying declaration was recorded under Section 183 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before the South District Court No. 37 at Saket, New Delhi. Doctors at AIIMS also documented her statement. In both testimonies, the victim stated she had acted on her own. “After the investigation was completed, the final report was submitted to the court on September 17 by the Balanga police station,” Majhi added.
Opposition leaders, however, disputed the findings. Congress MLA Sophia Firdous said: “It is very unfortunate that the case has been given the colour of suicide. The state government has failed to give justice to women.” BJD legislator Sarada Prasanna Jena claimed: “It’s a shame that crimes against women have increased. Attempts are being made to distort reports.”
BJD spokesperson Lelin Mohanty was sharper in his criticism: “It’s tough to digest. The statement contradicts what the girl initially said. The FIR clearly mentioned that three persons had kidnapped her and set her ablaze. The matter must be taken more seriously.”
In contrast, BJP MLA Santosh Khatua defended the chief minister. “The chief minister cited official records. Even the victim’s father had earlier stated that she set herself ablaze,” he said.
The case, likened by Opposition leaders to previous high-profile assaults on women in the state, has become a flashpoint in the political narrative around law and order. Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik and other Opposition figures have accused the BJP government of failure to protect women, while BJP leaders insist they are relying only on documentary evidence.
The chief minister said the government was working on stronger protective mechanisms, but the Opposition continues to accuse the administration of neglect and indifference to women’s safety.